3 Ways to Visually Curate Your Brand to Stand Out

Bored with that same old image? Visual curation can breathe new life into your brand and set you apart from the crowd. If you’re looking for somewhere to begin, have a read of our ultimate guide to creating your own unique brand personality through visual communication.

Insta-Success: Be socially savvy.

We’ve all had that moment of joy during a casual magazine-flick when we’ve discovered a particularly dreamy spread. It’s something about how the images come together, how all those pieces in their individual simplicity meld into a cohesive picture.

The same concept has become part of brand marketing today. Elegantly curating your social channels will not only increase your fan base, but it also increases the creative opportunity. For example- specific collaborations are made possible with creatives such as artists or photographers who may design content for you. This may open up new doors into other industry areas and enhance your overall look.

Think: a milieu of beachy blue undertones in a colour scheme for a swimwear Instagram account.
Stressed about keeping it in sync? There are so many apps to help you out but we recommend you check out Plann and Unum. These clever tools allow you to visually curate, schedule and analyse so you can achieve the perfect insta aesthetic.

Out of the Ordinary: Don’t be a copycat…

Curating a brand means making something unique out of who you are. Stand tall against your competition rather than blending into that background of similarity. In this game, the winners are doing something bold and different. Think of creative ways to market your product that will get people talking (and by talking we mean liking, commenting, sharing and posting of course!).
Creativity in your packaging and tagging is a great place to start. Give customers something from your brand that is psychologically appealing and tangible. Cute labels that double as the product tag and a totally wearable item can turn your identification into a trend. Jewellery designer Samantha Wills uses this very concept by offering beautiful handcrafted wooden boxes with every piece.

Going that little extra is not only great DIY PR but it can be excellent value for money in terms of keeping your brand front of mind with your customer base.

Don’t Go OTT: Simplicity is key.

Consumers have been bombarded for decades with masses of ‘buy, buy, buy’ marketing (and they’re sick of it!). The mantra of ‘excess’ is used so loudly in retailing today and is far more likely to send your clients running…in the opposite direction…

Consider long-term planning much like how you would with your content, making sure your whole team is unified around who you are. This means painting your own philosophy and sticking to it no matter what creative direction you take. This way you can still have that individual voice whilst presenting in the right fashion. Don’t overdo it and don’t be a pushy salesman. It’s great to give your identity a refresh every now and again, just be sure to steer clear from all the chopping and changing – which could warrant a messy image!

Feedback is a good strategy here, helping keep on track of customer response and pinpointing the exact areas that may or may not be working. Remember: brand individuality should be encouraged, just be sure all decisions are also business favourable!
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Image: Sarah Illenberger for German watch manufacturer Nomos/ Glashütte – photography by Ragnar Schmuck
Editor note: This article was originally published in September 2016 and republished in April 2018 with updated content.